Leijpark013

@leijpark013 · 15 Jul 2023

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Leijpark 013 Damselfly

Written by Thierry P. Thijens ·
Street lighting, for us the most common thing in the world. When it gets dark, the lampposts turn on automatically. Nevertheless, there was a time when you had to bring the lights yourself. Long before the light came from flashlights, pinch-cats and bicycle lights, people were walking down the street with lanterns. The first lantern was a revolutionary step forward and left the oil lamp in the wake. When carried, an oil lamp spills oil. A lantern with a glass enclosure around a candle did not cause this problem. The candles of that time were often not made of (the then very expensive) beeswax, but of fat. These so-called sebum or lubricating candles were made of bovine or mutton fat. The disadvantage of carrying a lantern is the fact that it only illuminates the area directly around the person. You can't direct the light like we can with modern flashlights. People came up with the idea to hang lanterns every few meters. Thus, entire streets and squares were illuminated and the precursor to the lamppost was born.
An insect lives in the Leijpark that reminds us of times gone by when ordinary citizens only went out into the street at night and at breakfast when they were 'armed' with a lantern: the Lantern, a common damselfly. The animal has a light blue chest, a black abdomen that 'lights' almost at the end because of that light blue color again. Like she's carrying a lantern on a stick. Of course, the 'lantern' on her abdomen doesn't really light up.
This damselfly is seen wherever there is water. Her larvae live in the water and eat all kinds of small animals there, they even overwinter in the soil of the plant or pond and then they pupate above the water. They crawl out of their old skin (so-called sneaking out) and are then adult insects with wings. In the air, they hunt all kinds of small flies that they eat with taste. However, something strange is happening. That light, to which their name refers, has become a nemesis in this day and age. After all, we have so-called light pollution in our world. There is simply too much light everywhere. Since the origin of our Earth, there has been one important constant factor: The day alternating with the night. Light and dark. The world of light is home to species other than the world of darkness. The only night light traditionally came from the moon and stars. Now, however, there is light everywhere. Light from large greenhouses, light from street lights, light from houses, light from surveillance systems, light from cars; there is light everywhere and nature is affected. Moths and beetles that are used to flying at night are noticed by predators much more quickly. Or they fly to death against the artificial light of lamps. An insect like the Lantern is used to laying its eggs on the water. In the eyes of many damselflies, water is a smooth surface on which they concentrate. Asphalt that shines on artificial light is also a smooth surface and damselflies are misled far too often as a result. The result is that the eggs don't stand a chance. In our neighboring country Germany alone, where a lot of research is being done into light pollution, people have come to the shocking conclusion that one hundred billion insects die unnecessarily every summer as a result of light pollution. An unprecedented number, and that's just one country we're talking about. Calculate that for the entire planet!
For the Leijpark, even more light means even fewer insects and the insects in the Leijpark are doing so badly. Building an illuminated bike path across the Leijpark means a blow to the neck for species that, in a relatively dark Leijpark, are now safe from this disturbance and find peace in the ancient rhythm of light and dark. But apparently, people who are not exactly allowed to call themselves 'a big light' decided otherwise. How long can we still enjoy the Lantern before her light also goes out?
#park #dragonfly